Where is the room that they do schoolwork on the computers? Is that in the playroom or in Michelle's office.

From what I can tell there are computers in at least one of the two areas at the ends of the catwalk labeled "loft" on the floorplan. We've also seen Josh with a laptop in the "studio" as well as other computer equipment in there and more recently one or two desktops in the girls' room. I was surprised by that, but I guess they've got such strong filters on them nothing remotely "defrauding" could ever get through. Of course, "the guys" still couldn't be trusted to have computers in their room because... well, guys "process" things differently from "us" and must be protected. Also, I think there's a computer in JB's office (seen during Grandpa Duggar's passing episode). I'm not sure we've ever seen M's office unless that was the messy room upstairs where James (I think) was rummaging around for his workbook during the "B-b-b-ball" episode. If I recall from the makeshift classroom/computer room in LR, they had about 10-12 monitors, so they've probably got computers scattered all around the TTH.

Oh, yeah. That's another thing I would have included in a 7000-square-foot house... a dedicated homeschool classroom.

In answer to a previous question, the "dual" toilets are shown in the last photo in the August 2007 photo gallery on the Duggar family website. One of the computer lofts is also shown (the one of JD with two of the little kids looking on).

thanks for the pic link....yes, I see what you're saying about the smaller, lower toilet for kids, I guess that makes sense.

I am a little suprised, given JimBob's self-professed cheapness that they would waste so much space on the second floor with a catwalk. I guess if you like it enough it is worth it, but whenever I see that in a home I always think it looks nice, but what a waste of space. Just doesn't seem to fit their 'frugal' nature.

Yes, they could have used a lot of the second floor for... I don't know... maybe more sleeping space? A classroom? I'm seriously beginning to doubt that house has anything close to 7000 square feet of living space.

What surprises me is that one of the howler monkeys (or Johannah) hasn't climbed over the catwalk railing and crawled out onto one of those horizontal support beams.

And the climbing wall with no safety harnesses, right in front of a huge window, with just a twin mattress on the floor below? Ack. My grandma always said God protects children and idiots. With this family God has a full-time job!

If I were thinking resale, I'd probably try to market the house as an easy restaurant conversion. The commercial kitchen is already in place, there's the pantry/storage area right off of it . . . , Jim Bob's office is right beside the kitchen so that could work for bookkeeping/office work, the mudroom could serve as a small staff rest area, and you could turn one or both of the upstairs dorms into overflow eating areas. Something would probably need to be done with the bathrooms, removing tubs and adding stalls/toilets, but it doesn't look like it would be too much of a challenge to turn it into a little restaurant.

Of course, that floorplan would also be very handy for me to use when building a home for the next branch of my Quiverfull Sim family, the Breedwells . . .

I don't think the resale value really matters. I woudl assume the house will stay in the Duggar family for generations. Weren't there rumors of additional homes being built on the property to turn it into a proper compound?

And thanks for the answer about the computer area. I also think a school room would have been a good idea. I know a family much smaller then the Duggars (two kids!) who homeschools and they have a dedicated homeschool room.

blisterine wrote:even though the girls's bedroom has sinks, i guess if you are a guest helping out with sewing, you just wash your hands in the bathtub, then dry them on whatever you are sewing.

Um, why not wash your hand in the sink just outside the bathroom door? While this isn't a horribly common set up, I've seen it other places also. Not to mention having a toilet in a stall then exiting the stall to wash your hands. Why would you take your project to the bathroom with you?

Actually, having the school computers scattered throughout the house seems like a good idea, in theory. That way if Justin and Jason just can't get any work done if they're in the same room as each other, they can be sent to separate parts of the house to work. I don't think the Duggars have actually thought of this, but if I was homeschooling, say, ten kids, I would split them up.

watchdog wrote: We've also seen Josh with a laptop in the "studio" as well as other computer equipment in there and more recently one or two desktops in the girls' room. I was surprised by that, but I guess they've got such strong filters on them nothing remotely "defrauding" could ever get through.

Silly, they don't have the internet. Not sure what they do with the computers.

blisterine wrote:
even though the girls's bedroom has sinks, i guess if you are a guest helping out with sewing, you just wash your hands in the bathtub, then dry them on whatever you are sewing.

Um, why not wash your hand in the sink just outside the bathroom door? While this isn't a horribly common set up, I've seen it other places also. Not to mention having a toilet in a stall then exiting the stall to wash your hands. Why would you take your project to the bathroom with you?

Of all the things that are issues with the house and the family.....

take another look at the floor plan. to use a sink, you'd have to enter the FORBIDDEN territory of the girl's room. the bathroom open to the sewing room has only a toilet and a tub. even my sims wouldn't put up with that crap. it looks like the duggars designed the bathrooms as part of their homeskool lessons. no one said take your sewing project to the bathroom with you. but if you are making blankets for el savadorian kids with aids, you might not want to send them a bunch of cooties or chicken pox germs.

and of all the things that are issues with the house and the family.....we'll just add this to the list and let the snark be directed at the duggars, not each other. because my buddy will give you a purple nirple in a heartbeat.

The way the Duggars post directions to Duggar Manor (love that) and their floorplan, and when they are out of town . . . who cares what those computers are used for? We could each take one and find out! We could also each have a sewing machine, some A/V equipment, one of us could have the TLCiano. I call dibs on the portable tv they watch Andy Griffith reruns on! Always wanted a portable tv.

You can't get to the sewing room without going through the girls room to begin with. Which is why that I think it is not fair that they have a sewing room (in spite of my love of sewing) and the boys get a play loft and slide to the playroom.

I just thought I would ad my 2 cents, as a mom and foster mom with a TON of kids. Its not uncommon for their to be 10 kids going to bed here. I know not Duggar amount but some days it feels close.

I think their playroom is GREAT, as are many parts of the house. As for the bedrooms...I have always said my DREAM house would have a main open living area, a huge masterbedroom and a LONG hallway with 10 bedrooms, each with a bathroom in between (so 2 kids per bathroom). The rooms dont need to be huge, just typical normal size rooms, but it would be amazing to have each child be able to have their own room. I think individual space is GREAT, and in an ideal house each child would have some area of their own

Silly, they don't have the internet. Not sure what they do with the computers.

Based upon what Michelle said about "the guys" having to have strict internet filters, we've heard about Jana having the password to the internet, and we've even witnessed JD and Joseph looking at what appeared to be used car sales or auctions on the internet late last season (and unsupervised to boot!) when everyone else was in LR, I'd say they definitely do have internet access. They surely receive e-mail, and Josh and Anna have a Facebook page. It's all just very filtered and apparently supervised by a parent or (more likely) an older buddy, at least within the confines of the TTH. Heaven only knows what Josh does at the carlot when he's alone. Hopefully not spending his days making up for lost time. The supervised part isn't a bad idea IMO if you have young kids, but with the strict filters in place I would think they would be pretty sheltered from any potential defrauding already.

They use the computers for homeschooling, much of it apparently self-taught. I would venture to guess they also have access to parent-approved games and videos.

It does seem like a good idea to separate the computers to save on distractions. But then, the bulk of the computers appears to be in the playroom. It looks like they could have kids doing schoolwork and other kids behind them playing table games. That would totally distract me!

I wonder if they really use the commercial kitchen much at all. So much of their cuisine is stir and bake.

The picture gallery was really interesting. The only picture of JMichelle with a child, was her and Jim Bob showing off a child who was laying on the bed. There were a few pictures of JBob showing a kid how to play pool. The pictures looked really posed, but who knows. There was lots of photos of the older girls doing laundry, playing the piano with a child strapped to her chest, doing hygeine, etc. I just found it strange that Michelle has 17 or 18 kids at the time of the photos, but wasn't interacting with any of them.

As for the house -- yes the top floor does seem to have a lot of wasted space. I wonder if they actually have any personal belongings, or if every single item is considered family communal property. All the clothes are the family closet. Looking at the bedrooms, they do have chests, but I don't know if they only hold things like underwear, or supplies of diapers and wipes for the babies.